Visa Information

UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI)

Entry into the UK is managed by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI). The UKVI points based visa and immigration system (PBS) is designed to be objective and transparent, and give students the peace of mind that the courses they are applying for are run by bona fide institutions approved by the UK government.

Immigration regulations are subject to change on a regular basis.

You can find more details in the link below –

UKVI

The UK Council for International Student Affairs

Is a visa required?

For the UK, most types of immigration permissions allow for studying. Visa categories which are specifically for international students are Tier 4 (General) student visa and Tier 4 (Child) student visa

An applicant can apply for a Tier 4 (General) student visa to study in the UK if they’re 16 or over and they:

· have been offered a place on a course

· can speak, read, write and understand English

· have enough money to support themselves and pay for their course – the amount will vary depending on their circumstances

· meet the other eligibility requirements

Tier 4 student visa - What you can and can’t do.

You can:

· study

· work as a student union sabbatical officer

· apply from inside or outside the UK

· apply to extend your stay

· work in most jobs - depending on what level their course is and what kind of sponsor they have

You cannot:

· get public funds

· work in certain jobs, for example professional sportsperson or sports coach

· study at an academy or a local authority-funded school

You may be able to bring in family members (dependants).

What do you need to apply for a Tier 4 (General) student visa?

The earliest a student can apply for a visa is 3 months before they start their course. You will usually get a decision on their visa within 3 weeks.

You can check visa processing times for your country.

To gain a Tier 4 (General) Student visa, students must pass a points-based assessment. To meet the required points applicants need:

a valid confirmation of acceptance for studies (CAS), which they get for studying a course at an acceptable level with an approved education provider (the ‘Tier 4 sponsor’). A CAS is an electronic reference number which is issued by the institution they wish to study at.
enough money (also known as maintenance or funds) to cover their course fees and living costs
the required level of English
most applicants will need to pay the healthcare surcharge and have an IHS reference number
the completed visa application form
the fee payment for the visa

Click here for the UKVI guidance for applying for a visa. You can check requirements here for the form and guide to go with the VAF9 visa application form used when applying to come to the UK as a student under Tier 4 (General). UKVI policy guidance can be found here.

We will fully support you with your VISA application. Should you have any problems or need any assistance.

Confirmation of acceptance (CAS)

Students will need to provide a ‘confirmation of acceptance for studies’ (CAS) number from a licenced sponsor (college, university or school) on their visa application. ALL educational providers must be on the Register of Licenced Sponsors if they want to offer courses to Tier 4 students.

A CAS is an electronic reference number which is issued by the institution they wish to study at, once they have been offered a place on a course.

The CAS is valid for 6 months from the date it was issued by the institution.

Pre-sessional courses

If a student's course is a pre-sessional course which will prepare them for degree-level study at the same institution (or at its partner institution), they may be issued with a single CAS which includes both courses.

In order to issue a joint CAS the pre-sessional course must be no longer than three months, the main course of study must start within one month of the end of the pre-sessional course, the place on the degree level course must be unconditional and the pre-sessional course must be with the same education provider as the main course of study, or with a partner institution named on the same sponsor licence. In this case, their immigration permission will end after the main course, rather than after the pre-sessional course. Their institution will only issue them with a single CAS if they meet all of the associated requirements. They should make a note of the date that their immigration permission ends. They must not remain in the UK after this date unless they have already submitted an immigration application for further leave to remain in the UK.

If they've studied in the UK before. They can only get a CAS in certain situations if they're applying from within the UK:

re-sitting exams or repeating modules
applying for the first time to a new institution to complete a course they started at an institution that lost its Tier 4 sponsorship
applying to extend their stay to complete their studies because they’ve done (or want to do) a work placement or study abroad programme
completing a PhD or other doctorate that they started studying under their last Tier 4 (General) student visa
applying after working as a student union sabbatical officer to complete a qualification they started studying under their last Tier 4 (General) student visa
continuing their medical, dentistry or medical science degree after completing an intercalated course.

If they’re starting a new course. They can get a CAS if their course is one of the following:

at a higher academic level than their previous course
at the same level and related to their previous course or career aspirations - it must be degree level or above at a Higher Education Institution (HEI)
intercalated to a medicine, dentistry or medical science course they started studying under a Tier 4 (General) student visa.

Funds and course fees

Funds

On their application, students will need to show that they can cover course fees and living costs. UKVI checks information about funds very carefully.

If applicants can show that they have already paid all or some of their course fees before making their application, this amount can be deducted from the total amount of money they will need to show.

Course fee

On your application, you will need to show that you can cover course fees and living costs. Students must show they have enough money to pay their course fees for the first year of their course (or for the entire course, if it lasts less than a year). If you have already started you course and you are applying to extend their stay so that they can continue that course, you must show that you have enough money to pay your course fees to the end of the current academic year or for the next academic year, if you are continuing your course at the start of the next academic year.

If you are applying to do a ‘study abroad’ programme in the UK as part of an overseas course, you must show that you have enough money to pay any necessary fees to the Tier 4 sponsor for the first year of the programme (or for the entire programme, if it is less than a year long).

The confirmation of acceptance for studies tells UKVI the amount of money you need to prove you have in order to pay your course fees. If you do not know what this amount is, you must ask their Tier 4 sponsor.

Maintenance requirements

Applicants will need enough money to pay for their course fees and their living costs. The Home Office calls this the maintenance requirements.

The monthly maintenance requirements state that students must show they have the required sum of money for maintenance in their account for a period of 28 days. They must show they have a stipulated amount per month to live on, for nine months. As London is more expensive, the amount needed for London is higher than elsewhere in the UK. This money must take the form of cash funds in the bank (including savings accounts and current accounts, even when notice must be given), a loan letter, or official financial or government sponsorship available to them. UKVI will add a declaration to the visa application form so that they must confirm that the funds are genuinely available for the purpose of funding their study and upkeep in the UK.

Maintenance requirements are subject to change. Please check the UKCISA website.

Living costs

The Home Office uses fixed amounts, which may or may not reflect their actual living costs.

For study in London they need £1,265 for each month of their course, up to a maximum of nine months. This means that if you will be studying in London for a course that lasts one month only, the amount that you will need is £1,265. If you will be studying in London for a course lasting nine months or more, the amount that they will need is £11,385.

For study elsewhere in the UK, the monthly amounts are lower: they need £1,015 for each month of their course.

If the length of your course includes a part of a month, round it up to a full month. For example, if their course dates are 30 May until 1 October, this is four months and two days so they would need to show five months' of funds.

Deductions

They can deduct the following from the total amount of money that they need as part of their immigration application:

· money that they have already paid to their Tier 4 sponsor towards their course fees, and

· up to £1,265 that they have already paid to their Tier 4 sponsor for their accommodation fees, if they will be living in university or college accommodation

CAS

Their CAS may include details of any money paid to their institution. If not, they will need to provide a paper receipt confirming how much they have paid towards their course fees and/or their accommodation fees.

They must meet all Tier 4 (General) student requirements and be able to provide evidence in the required format in order to make a successful application. From 2018, their documents may be copies; there is no longer be a requirement to submit original documents.

Low-risk applicants who have a receipt do not need to include it with the application.

Evidence for meeting the maintenance requirements

Evidence of their money must meet specific requirements. If it does not, their immigration application is likely to be refused.

If they have already paid money to their institution for their course fees or accommodation, submit paper receipts with their application as evidence of this, unless this information is included in their CAS.

As evidence of their money, they can use any one or more of these forms of evidence:

· personal bank statements

· certificate(s) of deposit [see below]

· letter from their bank, or a regulated financial institution

· letter from an official financial sponsor [see below]

· letter from a regulated financial institution confirming that they have a loan [see below] from the national government, the state or regional government, or a government-sponsored student loan company

· letter from a regulated financial institution confirming that they have a loan [see below] that is part of an academic or educational loans scheme

· statements of a passbook from a building society

Certificate of deposit

This is a certificate issued by a bank to confirm that the named person has deposited or invested a specific amount of money. Certificates of deposit are not listed as acceptable evidence in the Immigration Rules but the Home Office's modernised guidance for staff assessing Tier 4 applications confirms that a certificate of deposit is accepted if it meets both the following requirements:

· the certificate of deposit must have been issued within 31 days of the date of application

· at least 28 days must have elapsed between the date of the deposit and the date of issue of the certificate

Loans

If they are applying for their visa from overseas the loan must be available to them before they travel to the UK, unless it is an academic or student loan from their country's national government and will be released to them when they arrive in the UK, or it is a loan for their living costs that is paid to their Tier 4 sponsor for passing to them. Any other type of loan will not meet the Tier 4 requirements.

If they wish to use money from any other type of loan, they need to transfer the funds to a bank or building society account in their name (or a parent's name) and use one of the other forms of evidence listed above.

Important - Entry clearance and immigration is not an issue that can be left until the pre-departure briefing.

Students apply for a visa after they have received a confirmation of acceptance for studies (CAS).

Students should only submit an immigration application once they are sure they can also include all the documents required to meet the Tier 4 requirements (but not more than 3 months before the course starts to date).

English language requirements

Students must prove their knowledge of the English language when they apply for a visa. This usually means passing a secure English language test (SELT).

Higher Education Institutions can choose how to assess a student’s knowledge of English. They must however meet the following for UKVI:

CEFR level B2 or equivalent if they’re studying at a degree level or higher
SELT in reading, writing, listening and speaking and CEFR level B1 if they’re not studying at a degree level (If they still have to pass a SELT, it must be from an approved provider.)

Check the full visa guidance for detailed information.

Students don’t need to prove their knowledge of English if they’ve completed a qualification equivalent to a UK degree in certain countries, or in certain other circumstances.

Demonstration of English speaking skills

Students must be able to demonstrate that they can speak English to the required standard (B1 or B2), when interviewed by UK Visas and Immigration officers.

If the student cannot hold a simple conversation without an interpreter, the student may be refused.

These interviews can take place at the visa office in the students’ home country by skype, but they may also be interviewed on arrival to the UK by immigration officers.

Documents and evidence needed for Tier 4 application

Students should only submit an immigration application once they are sure they can also include all the documents necessary to meet the Tier 4 requirements (but not more than three months before the course’s start date).

Applicants will need to fill in the application form, pay the required fee and provide the following evidence:

passport or travel document
information from the confirmation of acceptance (CAS) from a licensed sponsor
documents to show they meet the maintenance requirements such as money in an account held under the student’s name; this includes joint accounts or a loan in their name or financial sponsorship
documents/qualifications required by their sponsors when they accepted them for the course
proof of knowledge of the English Language (SELT)
biometric details
Tuberculosis test results if required
1 passport sized colour photograph with the student's name on the reverse
identity card (if they are applying from inside the UK).

Details of the documents required can be found from the following here and guide to supporting documents: Points based system-Tier4 (General)

Document requirements

Documents must be issued by an authorised official of the issuing organisation and be either original, or on the official letter-headed paper of the organisation

If students are applying from within the UK or applying from overseas, any documents that have to be submitted in support of points they are claiming, which are not in English or Welsh must be accompanied by a full translation that can be independently verified by the Home Office.

This translation must include:

details of the translators’/translation company's credentials
confirmation that it is an accurate translation of the original document
the translators'/translation company's contact details
the date and the original signature of the translator or an authorised official of the translation company

UKVI will always use UK NARIC to assess the equivalency of overseas qualifications

Financial Scholarship

Financial sponsorship means a student is given money to cover their course fees and living costs. If their financial sponsor is only covering some of the student’s course fees or living costs, he/she must show that they have the rest of the money needed.

Letter of confirmation

The student must provide a letter of confirmation from their official financial sponsor, which maybe Her Majesty’s government, the student’s home government, the British Council or any international organisation, company or university.

The letter must be on official letter-headed paper or stationery of the organisation of the official financial sponsor, have the official stamp of that organisation on it and show:

name and contact details of the official financial sponsor
date
full name of the student (that appears in their passport)
length of their sponsorship
amount of money they have or a statement that they will cover all (or part) of the student’s fees and living costs.

Official sponsorship

If the official sponsorship only covers part of the money needed, the student must provide a letter of confirmation from their sponsor as detailed above in addition to proof that he/she has the rest of the money needed, such as a bank statement.

If the student is receiving official financial sponsorship from his/her approved education provider, for example a scholarship, the approved education provider may choose to include details of the financial sponsorship on the confirmation of acceptance for studies.

Applying from outside the UK

Students must apply online for a Tier 4 (General) student visa.

They’ll need to have their fingerprints and photograph taken at a visa application centre (to get a biometric residence permit) as part of their application.

They’ll have to collect their biometric residence permit within 10 days of when they said they’d arrive in the UK (even if they actually arrive at a later date).

They may be able to get their visa faster, or other services, depending on what country they’re in - check with their visa application centre.

Bringing partners and/or children

A student’s family members (dependants) might be able to apply to join or remain with them in the UK.

Family members (also known as dependants) are:

husband, wife or civil partner
unmarried or same-sex partner; or
children aged under 18

Family members must be able to support themselves financially for the entire length of their stay without needing help from state benefits (also known as public funds).

Dependants also have to pay the healthcare surcharge as part of their application.

International students can bring their family to the UK if they are:

sponsored by a higher education institution on a course at level 7 on the Ofqual register or above that lasts 9 months or more
a new government-sponsored student on a course that lasts longer than 6 months
a Doctorate Extension Scheme student

Read more from UKVI at: https://www.gov.uk/tier-4-general-visa/family-members

Students must show that their dependants can be supported while they’re in the UK.

Each dependant must have a certain amount of money available to them - this is in addition to the money the applicant must have to support themselves. The amount of money they need depends on:

the length of the course
location of study in the UK
whether the UK course is finished or on-going

The applicant must have proof they have the money, and that it’s been in their bank account or their dependant’s bank account for at least 28 days before the applicant or they apply. The money does not need to be available 28 days in advance if it's from a student loan or official sponsor, but they do need to provide confirmation of when it'll be available.

Read the detailed guidance for dependants for how much money they’ll need and the full list of documents they need to provide.

Dependants applying outside the UK

Applicants should apply for their dependants’ visas at the same time as the applicant applies to extend or switch their own visa.

If the applicant can’t do it at the same time, their dependants can apply to extend or switch their visas at a later date.

They can’t apply in the UK as dependants if they already have a Standard Visitor visa.

If their dependants want to get a decision more quickly than the standard 8 weeks, they can apply for priority service. However there a limited number of places each day.

The most up-to-date charges for these applications can be found here.

Dependants applying in the UK

A student’s family members must apply online.

They’ll need to have their fingerprints and photograph taken at a visa application centre (to get a biometric residence permit) as part of their application.

They’ll have to collect their biometric residence permit within 10 days of when they said they’d arrive in the UK. They may be able to get their visa faster or other services depending on what country they’re in - check with the visa application centre.

Credibility Interviews

The Home Office have introduced credibility interviews into the Tier 4 (General) student visa application process.

There are two types of credibility interview. The first type will take place at the same time as their biometrics are taken at the Embassy or designated agency. This initial interview will only take around five minutes and will be via video link with the Home Office in the UK. The purpose of the interview is to check the student’s credibility as a genuine student and the focus of this interview will be their reasons for choosing the UK, the University and the programme of study as well as questions on the content of their course.

The Home Office will record the interview and send a summary to the Entry Clearance Officer who will decide if a second more detailed interview at the Embassy is needed. The Home Office expects most applicants to be able to prove they are genuine at the first stage and that this will in fact speed up the decision process on applications because fewer documentation checks will be required.

The student will be asked questions about they chose the UK, the University and their academic programme and how this course fits into their career aspirations. They may also be asked about how they plan to fund their studies.

Tier 4 applicants in the UK may be contacted to participate in an interview if there are discrepancies between the supporting documents which have been provided and the information included in the visa application form, or if the caseworker considering the application requests an interview in order to obtain more information before they can make a decision. Failure to attend an interview when invited may result in the students’ visa application being refused.

A transcript of their interview will be included in the information which the caseworker will use to decide the students’ application.

Important - Students can request a copy of their interview transcript and it is recommended that all students do this.